The Word (‘Parola’) and the Law of the European Union

Scattered Reflections

Abstract

The essay explores the relationship between language and law in the European Union (EU) through a lens focused on the term parola (la parole, word). The article intends to underline the role of effective multilingualism as a fundamental element of protection not only of national languages, but of European Union law itself; history teaches how multilingualism works as a barrier to national juridical models conveyed within EU law through a prevailing lingua franca. It addresses the challenges inherent in multilingualism, and explores the nuanced process of translation and adaptation, in which legal concepts are subject to semantic casts. Highlighting the collaborative efforts among jurists and linguists to address the challenges in multilingual legal frameworks, it is also intended to underline how the path towards a shared legal language inspires not only intra-EU, but global dialogues.